It is a testament to the financial gulf between the Premier League and Serie A that West Ham United could meet the wage demands of the division’s highest-paid player; Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Paolo di Canio, the former Milan and Lazio forward best remembered for his brilliant stint at Upton Park, can certainly envisage a world in which the Hammers offer up the kind of money that would have Turin bankers wincing.
Yes, West Ham posted a loss of £104 million loss for their 2024/25 accounts. Yes, player sales would be a must at the London Stadium in the event of relegation.
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Still, in quotes reported by Bianconeri News, Di Canio uses the Dusan Vlahovic situation at Juventus to highlight the financial discrepancies between Italy’s giants and even the clubs towards the bottom of the Premier League.
Paolo di Canio thinks West Ham United could afford Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic
West Ham finished 20th in Deloitte’s 2026 list of the richest clubs in the game. Juventus, by the way, are only four places higher 16th.
Now, the Bianconeri have made it clear that they will not renew out-of-contract striker Vlahovic unless he accepts a massive cut on his £10.5 million a year, or £200,000-a-week, wages.
Reports have indicated that fresh terms could be agreed at around £120,000-a-week.
Per Capology, that would see Vlahovic earn less at Juventus than Jarrod Bowen earns at West Ham. And on par with Alphonse Areola.
Di Canio cannot imagine Vlahovic, who joined Juventus from Fiorentina for £66 million four years ago, dropping down to a club in the lower regions of the Premier League. Even if West Ham do survive, Di Canio feels the Serbia international would aim a lot higher than his old employers from East London.
Yet, he points out that if Vlahovic takes a pay cut in order to stay at the Allianz Stadium, that would put the Juventus number nine on the same financial rung as some of those plying their trade at 18th-placed West Ham.
“With the salary he has, who will take him [if he leaves Juventus for free],” Di Canio asks. “Unless he goes to England, where a mid-table team, because they have a name, will give him eight to ten million euros, which they can spend.
“West Ham will easily pay six million euros [in wages] for their players.
“He wants to gain experience, but he’s not going [to West Ham] to win. If, on the other hand, he wants to stay at a club that aims to climb the ladder, win in Italy and in the Cups, you too must accept not taking much.”
Vlahovic scored a respectable 17 goals in all competitions for Juventus last season. Yet, at a Serie A-high £200,000-a-week, such a tally still fell well short of the financial demands placed upon the one-time Red Star Belgrade kid.
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Hammers will have to sell star players if they are relegated
West Ham can leapfrog Nottingham Forest and ease their relegation fears with a win away to Fulham on Wednesday. Still, even if survival is assured, concerning financial developments cast doubt on the future of Bowen and co.
“Under both the base case and severe but plausible case forecasts, mitigating actions are required in order to have sufficient liquidity for the Group to meet its liabilities over the going concern period,” a statement from the board read in light of that £104 million loss.
“The primary mitigating action within the control of the Group is cash receipts from further player trading. Should this not be preferred or sufficient, additional funding from the shareholders would be required.
“In the event the severe but plausible scenario occurs, the Group is also forecasting a liquidity shortfall in summer 2026 to a greater severity.
“Accordingly, more significant mitigating actions would be required such as further player disposals to generate transfer fee income and wage savings, or additional funding from the shareholders, or a combination thereof.”
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